


A Small Friend Called Tiny

by knightinpinkunderwear



Series: Prompt Fills [15]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Adult reunion, Alternate Universe - Age Changes, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Bruises, Childhood Friends, Coffee, Coffee Shops, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Cute Kids, Cutesy, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, GCPD, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kid Fic, Mild Angst, Moving Away, Not Canon Compliant, Prompt Fic, Prompt Fill, Reunion, Season 1, kid AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-04-20 06:19:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14254812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knightinpinkunderwear/pseuds/knightinpinkunderwear
Summary: "Let me finish talking for once" prompt Sent by Vero (I finally finished)It's short. And, of course, it's a kid fic.(Two more chapters, continuing into adulthood)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [verovex](https://archiveofourown.org/users/verovex/gifts).



 

Oswald thought the seven-year-old talked too much. But he never said that, because he was the only kid who wanted to spend time with him, even if he was three years younger and a lot smaller. Oswald called him Tiny. Mother told him that was rude, so now he calls the seven-year-old by his name; Eddie. Well, except in his head. Eddie will always be Tiny in his head. Eddie had too much to say, so much that he couldn’t seem to ever let anyone else get a chance to talk. Which, normally Oswald had the patience for, but after a long day, including a stolen lunch AND a wedgie, he didn’t have much patience left. 

  
“Can’t you just let me finish talking!” He regretted it almost immediately. Tiny looked scared, he seemed to get even smaller. His big brown eyes got even bigger behind his glasses. Eddie was shaking. He looked scared. 

  
“I’m sorry-” Tiny’s voice was tiny. 

  
“It's ok! Don’t be sorry! I just- I had a bad day and I shouldn’t be mean to you, I don’t mean to yell,” Tiny nodded, he started to look more his normal smallness and not the sad, scared smallness. Then he climbed into Oswald’s lap. It was a bit awkward, Tiny may have been tiny but Oswald wasn’t exactly big either. Eddie didn’t seem to mind. He was too busy hugging Oswald. Oswald hugged back. 

  
“Are you my friend?” Oswald blanched, hadn’t they been friends for months now? Was Eddie saying that they weren’t?

  
“I want to be,” 

  
“Really? Why?” 

  
“You’re the only one who wants to be my friend,” 

  
“But you’re so-”

  
“I’m not cool”

  
“But you are! You let me sit with you even though I’m younger than you! No one even my age wants me around,” 

  
“What about Myrtle?” Tiny scrunched up his nose like he ate a lemon. 

  
“She’s scary, not like a bully is scary but like-” 

  
“Do you think I’m scary?”

  
“Yea, but in a good way,” Oswald didn’t get that. But Tiny had a weird way of thinking. But Oswald knew that if Tiny said it was ‘in a good way’ that meant he was doing something right. Eddie never told if anyone was doing something wrong if they were around. He was too scared of getting hurt. Oswald couldn’t blame him, Tiny had enough bruises and cuts that weren’t his own doing. Maybe he’d tell Oswald where he got some of them so Oswald could at least help. For now, they sat. Hidden away from the rest of the small school’s recess. Oswald liked having a friend, Eddie was a good friend, even if he was small and talked a lot.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More kidfic angst and fluff because I was distressed and I needed it. Now I'm emotionally a lot better. However now I am also sick again.

 

Oswald knew something was wrong when Tiny didn't come to their little hideout during recess. Had Oswald scared him off? No. Tiny was only afraid of him if he yelled and the last time he yelled was last Wednesday. It was Monday. And Tiny had come that Thursday and Friday. So, why wasn't he there? After five minutes, checked on his dollar store watch, he got up to look for the smaller boy. He wasn't climbing any trees, not that Tiny would, he didn't like being up that high. He wasn't at the slides, or the monkey bars, or the balance beam. He wasn't on the playground at all. He wasn't in the grass either, or by the building. He wasn't outside. Maybe his class wasn't having recess? No, Myrtle was on the balance beam, her blond ponytails swaying back and forth as she ran across it. Maybe Tiny had detention. No, that was a silly thought. Tiny was a good kid. He was smart and nice, a little too nice. There was a better word for that, naive? Yea, he was naive. And Oswald was pretty sure Tiny would never break rules, he didn't like getting in trouble. Not that anyone liked getting in trouble. But Eddie acted so shy around adults, almost like he was scared of them. Oswald supposed that he might be. He was so small and most of the adults were so big, and they yelled a lot. Tiny would know that getting in trouble would get him yelled at. So the only option left was that he was absent. Which was weird. Tiny bragged about his perfect attendance this year. He even came to school when he had a cold! So, why was he gone today? Oswald couldn't think of anything special about Today, it was the first day of the 4th quarter but that wouldn't be a reason to miss school. It was Monday, April 3rd. Nothing special about April either. Report cards were emailed home on the weekend but Oswald couldn't think of why that would keep Tiny out of school. He was smart for a seven-year-old. Oswald couldn't understand, unless Eddie was very sick or he was moving. But Tiny would have told him is he was moving soon, they were friends, right? 

 

He went home dragging his feet, it had been a lonely day. His mom didn't seem to understand that Eddie didn't really stay home sick, she still thought it was sweet that he worried about his little friend. Mother tried to cheer him up with his favourite dinner. It might have worked a little bit. She was good at making him feel better. Maybe she was right, Tiny was fine. He would be fine. 

 

* * *

 

 

Tiny wasn't fine. Oswald bumped into him at the beginning of the next day. His glasses were broken and taped back together, one lens was cracked. His eyes were puffy and he had a black eye, there were bruises on his neck too. His eyes were wide and scared and he was very shaky. He looked even smaller than normal. That wasn't good. Oswald wanted to drop everything and just hug the small boy. Tiny liked his hugs. He wouldn't look anyone in the eye, but he'd never been the best at that. Now it was worse, he looked like a mouse that was in a room full of cats and he wasn't sure which would pounce first. Oswald didn't feel like eating at lunch, he was too worried. Whoever it was that normally hurt his friend did it again, real bad this time. He hoped Tiny would tell him who. 

 

Eddie was unsteady on his feet at recess, hugging himself and running with shaky legs to their hideout. Oswald was there waiting for him. Sitting criss cross (applesauce) with open arms. Eddie was in his arms real quick. Then he cried, he was quiet, Oswald only knew he was crying from the little sniffles and the tears soaking into his shirt. Oswald hugged him. The way his mother did when he was upset. Tiny cried a long time. At least fifteen minutes. 

"What happened?"

"You won't-"

"I'll try to understand."

"I got my grades and he-he saw them and he was angry at me."

"You don't get bad grades, you're smart!"

"I got good grades but-but he thought I cheated. I told him I didn't and he said I was lying. And then-and then he punished me."

"But you didnt lie? Why-who hurt you?

"He-he's- my dad" What?

"But he's your dad!" 

"He punishes me a lot," Tiny said in a tiny voice. Oswald knew that Tiny was good, he wouldn't get in trouble enough to get punished a lot. He didn't understand. Even if he did get punished why didn't Tiny's dad spank him, why did he cover the little boy in bruises instead? Why weren't the teachers paying attention to Tiny. It was kind of hard to ignore a seven-year-old with a black eye. It wasn't like his glasses hid anything. 

"He's not supposed to! He's your dad! He's supposed to protect you!" 

"I don't wanna talk about it anymore," they didn't talk about it again. He saw Tiny at dismissal, starting his walk home. Eddie looked even more afraid. That couldn't be right. Oswald knew there was something wrong with Tiny's father punishing him, all those bruises and cuts... 

 

* * *

 

 

He told his mother about it. Maybe she could explain it. Mother got angry as he told her about everything Eddie said. He never saw her so angry. She started speaking in german, fastly saying words he didn't know under her breath. 

"This little boy, he is your little friend?" Oswald nodded. "And he say his father did that to him?" He nodded again. She started muttering angrily under her breath in german. Oswald only caught a few words; not right, abuse, nasty people. 

"Abuse?"

"It means that someone who is supposed to love and care for you hurts you instead," 

"I know that but, you think Eddie is abused? By his father?" 

"You say he is very flighty and scared today while you ask about his bruises?"

"Yea..." 

"How about you bring him here for a visit, or a slumber party, it will keep the poor boy away from that _monster_!" Oswald liked that idea, keeping Tiny away from the people that hurt him would mean he would be safer, right? 

 

* * *

 

 

Oswald invited Eddie over and in two days the seven-year-old skipped in with a grin splitting his face and a yes from his parents. Tiny followed him on his walk home, keeping his little hand in Oswald's. Mother absolutely adored him. Oswald was glad. 

"You must be Eddie, my Oswald has told me so much about you!" Tiny ducked his chin down as he was berated with nonstop affection and praise. Normally the thought of sharing his mother's love with anyone would make Oswald very angry. But with Eddie it was okay. If his father was really as bad as Oswald thought he'd be fine with sharing every scrap of love his mother gave with the smaller boy. Eddie deserved a good family, and since he might not have one it was only right for Oswald to share his, as little as it was. Tiny kept a big grin on his little face all evening. He gasped in amazement when Oswald or mother asked if he wanted any more food (mother kept insisting he was much to skinny). When he changed into his pajamas, facing the corner of Oswald's small room Oswald couldnt help but stare at the seven-year-old's back. It was criss crossed with scabs and healing cuts, there were lines branching from fresh angry red and white long passed healed. There were a lot of bruises too, some dark reddish purple, new, and some sickly greenish yellow, old. Oswald wished that he could keep Tiny here forever, in a never ending sleepover, just to keep him safe. Oswald was starting to understand why mother had been so angry and so strongly insisted that Eddie's father was a monster. Those marks were like having a whole group of bullies beat you up every day for hours. Oswald couldn't understand how Eddie could still call that man (monster) father. Things made a little more sense then, why Tiny was so polite, why he was so shocked and overjoyed whenever Oswald just treated him with even the smallest and most basic kindness. That settled his mind. If he was going to keep calling himself Eddie's friend he was going to smother him in kindness and affection, like his mother did him. He was going to make up from what Eddie's home lacked.

They played board games and listen Eddie ramble on and on to his little heart's content. Tiny reveled in the attention and affection. He was like a sunflower turning up towards them and soaking it all in. When it was time for bed and Tiny snuggled up to him under the blankets he didn't push him away. Oswald pulled the little boy closer and fell asleep promising to himself that he would protect his little friend no matter what. 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how to summarize this.

 

Oswald couldn't protect Tiny forever. After he started middle school Eddie's family moved away. Oswald had felt so sick to his stomach. It didn't matter how badly the bullies in middle school treated him, he was worrying about his littler friend. The boy who now couldn't come over to escape the abuse of his own home. And that's what started it. He wanted to grow up and be someone powerful, so that his mother could have an easy life as well as happy, so that he could save Tiny and kids like him from the monsters that they lived with. 

 

* * *

 

 

"I am Oswald Cobblepot, oh, and I'm alive." The police precinct was quiet, it was a loaded silence, like everyone was biding their time, waiting for his next move. The power he held over them in that instant was quite nice. Smirking at the various flabbergasted GCPD officers. He was pulled out of it by one shocked exclamation of his name. 

"Oswald?!" The owner of the voice was tall, and very thin, he looked like a walking popsicle stick in that ill-fitting grey suit. He had large boxy glasses with big Brown eyes behind them. _Why did that seem so familiar?_

"If you don't mind me asking, who are you?" 

"Sorry, I've grown a bit but, it's me Edward- _Eddie!_ \- Nashton," Oswald played the name back through his mind a few times, it sounded so familiar, it was on the tip of his tongue. Eddie Nashton. Eddie Nashton. "From Hilltop-" Eddie Nashton! _Tiny!_ Oswald smiled. It was big and genuine. 

"If I'd known you'd grow to be this tall, I'd never would've called you Tiny!" He laughed, Eddie joined in. "It's been awhile, since I've seen you, how are you?"

"Excuse me-" one of the cops intruded, Oswald resisted the desire to roll his eyes. Couldn't they see he was having a conversation? He ignored them and addressed his childhood friend first. 

"We should probably catch up somewhere else, how about over coffee? I know a place on Summit, how about Saturday at ten?"

"That sounds great!" The no longer tiny Eddie chirped cheerfully, his grin just as face-splittingly wide as Oswald remembered. Eddie went off to do whatever business he had at the GCPD and Oswald went off to clear one Jim Gordon of murder charges. 

"Stay away from Ed, he doesn't need someone dangerous, like you, bothering him" of all the things he'd thought Jim would say that was not considered. Ed? Shorter, more mature form of Eddie. Jim was talking about Eddie. Which could only mean that Jim _knew_ Eddie, and that Eddie probably worked in the precinct. 

"Excuse me?"

"Ed doesn't need a criminal harassing him." Oswald almost wished he'd already had that coffee just so he could throw it into Detective James Gordon's face. While he logically knew that the Detective had no knowledge of how he and 'Ed' knew each other, much less how protective Oswald had been of him when they were boys, he was still insulted. He would not wrong a real friend, he would not hurt a real friend. Especially not one that he'd comforted when he'd come to school with nasty cuts and bruises. Especially not the friend he'd tried to keep safe and away from his horribly abusive home. Especially not Eddie. Besides, how could he be called a harasser when his supposed 'victim' had been the one to call his attention and all they had was a short and pleasant chat? The detective's mind was truly a mystery. 

"Maybe I should just tell the lovely people at major crimes that you're the one who beat me into a bloody pulp before pushing me into the Gotham River, hmm?" 

 

* * *

 

 

Eddie sat at on of the small tables of the Café with his unusually long legs trapped awkwardly beneath it. In addition to being much taller, his soft brown hair was now mostly straight and in a side part that made him look almost puppy-ish. He also had sharp cheekbones. But his ears were still the same awkward shapes that stuck out a little oddly. He wore a green sweater over a button-down and dark tie. His entire ensemble screamed either stay at home spouse or nerd. It was a very Eddie look, warm and a little casual and definitely a little nerdy. 

"Oswald!" 

"Eddie!" 

"I hope I'm not late?"

"No, no, I just got antsy and came a little early," Eddie admitted a little sheepishly. The more things change the more they stay the same. They ordered their coffees. 

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened? After you moved?"

"My mother left and my father-he got worse."

"I'm sorry, I wish I could've kept him away from you,"

"It's no matter now, he shouldn't be bothering me ever again,"

"Is he?"

"No, he isn't dead, I changed my surname and have been living here since I graduated high school. He hasn't tried to look for me, so-"

"Well, I'm glad you got away from him." They sat. The quiet was just a bit uncomfortable, especially after the last topic of conversation. The coffees came. Eddie dumped at least four of the little creamer cups into the hot beverage before even taking a sip to try it. 

"How's your mother?" He asked, holding the now almost caramel-coloured coffee up. The mug looked small in his hands. 

"She's well. I think she missed you more than I did," Oswald joked, Eddie's brown eyes widened a little. "I learned an alphabet of German curse words when I told her you'd moved." Eddie smiles, sadly, softly. "She'd love to see you again,"

"You think so?" The disbelief in his voice is heartbreaking. Someone took that little boy and made him think people didn't care about him, that they wouldn't want to see him. Oswald almost wanted to pay that someone a special visit. 

"She framed one of the pictures from our first sleepover," Eddie was sipping his half creamer concoction, eyes never leaving Oswald. "The rest are in one of her family photo albums," 

"Family?" Eddie almost seemed to be testing the word out. Like he didn't really know what it meant, what it was supposed to mean. Oswald promised himself he'd make sure that the man would know what a real family was. 

 

* * *

 

 

They stopped being friends a few months later. Oswald had been right about his mother, she still adored 'Eddie'. She'd gushed over him, _"What a tall, handsome fellow you've grown to be!"_ Oswald couldn't disagree with her. He'd found himself thinking of Eddie, now just Ed, more and more, in strange places to think of a friend. Buying groceries (Ed doesn't like onions), talking to Maroni (the man filled him with the same vile hatred that the thought of Ed's parents did), washing blood off of his hands (helping to clean up some of the cuts that little Eddie had). Even though they met practically every weekend for a chat or coffee, Oswald couldn't seem to stop thinking about him or wanting to see him. Once he'd even brought coffee to the GCPD for Ed. He hadn't even cared when Jim had tried to 'protect' Ed from him. He'd been to Ed's apartment, the man had cooked for him, played piano and sang folk songs with him. But no matter what, it wasn't enough. 

Then, Ed kissed him. They were in the café, the one where they'd first caught up in. Oswald had been complaining about how irritating it was a to get blood on a freshly laundered suit (oddly, it was his own blood, he'd cut himself shaving) and Ed and been smiling, his pretty brown eyes bright and alight with...something sweet. Ed had just leaned in and hushed him with the press of his lips. And that as it. What he was missing. Ed, of course had felt him freeze up and jerked back, embarrassment and panic starting to play act is his face. That wouldn't do. Oswald reached forward and pulled him in by the tie. They kissed again. This time they separated for air. Looking at him, Oswald could see straight back to their early days of friendship. When he'd been ten and Ed had just been a small and talkative seven year old. It had been almost twenty years now. And here he was, Oswald Cobblepot, rising career-criminal, starstruck by a forensic from the GCPD who used to be a boy called Tiny. Oswald smiled. He wouldn't change it for the world. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this is a satisfactory closing point. It is currently 1:58 AM. I took a 3 hr nap in the afternoon and I am too awake for sleep. 
> 
> [Please, please, please comment?]

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it!
> 
> [Please comment?]


End file.
